Football

Every September, football fans go through the same ritual. For an entire year, we complain that the Ballon d’Or has lost its credibility. We argue that the voting system is flawed, that individual brilliance is being weighed against team success in inconsistent ways, and that the award no longer represents what it is supposed to represent. Then September arrives, the nominations are announced, and suddenly we forget every complaint we made over the previous twelve months. We

There was a time when Raphinha’s place at Barcelona was constantly debated. Was he consistent enough? Could he deliver in the biggest moments? Was he really capable of being one of the faces of this team? Seven La Liga games into the season, those questions are becoming increasingly difficult to ask. Raphinha has turned the beginning of this campaign into a personal statement. 12 goals in his first seven league appearances, including two hat-tricks and three braces, have put

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has made a fresh statement about the Ballon d’Or race, highlighting his rivalry with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and insisting that individual brilliance should not be judged solely by goals or Champions League success. In comments shared by football media outlets, Yamal said there is a direct rivalry between him and Mbappé because the Frenchman represents Real Madrid while he plays for Barcelona. “Mbappé plays for Real Madrid and I play for

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has boldly placed himself alongside Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe as the two best players in the world, while insisting he deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Speaking about the ongoing Ballon d’Or race, Yamal said he believes there are “perhaps only two players” who can be considered the best in the world this year — himself and Mbappe. “For me, Kylian Mbappe and I are the best two players, and anyone who watches the matches knows tha

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an extraordinary 21-year career with the Argentina national team to an end. The 39-year-old Argentina captain confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain was his final appearance in an international tournament for La Albiceleste. Messi will also step down as captain of the national team. In a statement shared with his millions of followers on Instagram, Messi said the decision was p

MADRID: Atlético Madrid have reportedly made their stance clear on Julián Álvarez, insisting there is “0% chance” of the Argentine forward being sold to Barcelona. According to a statement attributed to an Atlético spokesperson and cited by Spanish media, the Madrid club believes it has been unfairly targeted in the ongoing controversy surrounding Álvarez. “The player is being victimized, but the only victim of the Julián case is Atlético,” the spokesperson reportedly said, a

HULL: Hull City marked their long-awaited return to the Premier League in spectacular fashion, defeating Manchester United 2-0 in one of the biggest surprises of the opening weekend. After a nine-year absence from England’s top flight, Hull delivered a composed and deserved victory to immediately announce their arrival back in the Premier League. Fellow newcomers Ipswich Town also enjoyed an impressive start, securing a 2-1 home victory over Sunderland. Leeds United produced

Leandro Paredes has been handed a 10-match suspension by FIFA after Argentina’s players were involved in an on-field clash with Spain following their World Cup final defeat. The FIFA disciplinary panel imposed one of the harshest sanctions in World Cup history on Paredes, who was found to have assaulted Spain’s Eric García and pushed Gavi to the ground during the post-match confrontation. Argentina defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban, while Thiago Almada was sus